Stanley Slack Kidwell Jr.

Stanley S. Kidwell, Jr. AICP, Stan, or “Standaddy,” as his seven grandchildren called him, age 97, died on Saturday, February 3, 2024 after a brief illness. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 53 years, Lois Mae Wentz Kidwell, his parents, Stanley and Inez Heffron Kidwell, his brother George Kidwell and wife Courtney Welch Kidwell. He is survived by his daughters, Wendela, Megan, Rhanna and Chadron; by his seven grandchildren, Rachel, Skye and Bryn Shannon, Charlotte and Wesley Silver, and Rhodes and Vannessa Parker; three sons-in-law, David Shannon, Daniel Silver and Alan Parker; his sister-in-law Yvonne Hill; two nephews, James and Frederick Hill; James’ wife Amy, and their two children Cortney and Caleb; Frederick’s wife Mary Ann; and two nieces, Tandy Kidwell Bartkowicz and Travis Kidwell Kennedy; Tandy’s children Troy and Trina; and Travis’s children Heather, Cara and Daniel.

Stan was born in 1927 in Washington DC and grew up in Arlington County, Virginia. He graduated from Washington-Lee High School in June 1945 and was drafted into the United States Army in July. He served in Germany. He returned from overseas and earned a BA degree from The George Washington University in 1951 and a Masters’ degree in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1961.

In 1968 he was working as Chief of Regional Planning for the Georgia State Planning Bureau in Atlanta. That year he accepted a position in the Virginia Governor’s Office with the Division of State Planning and Community Affairs. He was charged with developing a guide delineating planning districts in Virginia. This resulted in a map of 22 planning districts covering all of Virginia. Each planning district contained a number of counties, cities and towns. He then worked with the planning districts to help them organize into Planning District Commissions. The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Upon Stan’s retirement in 1992, Governor Douglas L. Wilder issued a Certificate of Recognition, which read in part, “Stanley Kidwell has, for 23 years, served the Commonwealth of Virginia with dedication and excellence, and exhibited leadership in the establishment of Planning District Commissions by developing the approach and schedule for delineating boundaries and was diligent in seeing that the schedule he developed was maintained. The Commonwealth of Virginia appreciates the generous assistance and able guidance Stanley Kidwell has provided to the regional Planning District Commissions.”

At the time of his retirement, he was Associate Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), past president Georgia Section American Planning Association, past president Virginia Section American Planning Association, and was a recipient of the American Association of Planners National Award for Outstanding Planning in 1987.

Stan and Lois were blessed with four wonderful, caring daughters who always kept in touch and were quick to respond whenever help was needed. He was an active member of Bon Air United Methodist Church from 1968 until his death. His hobbies included dove, duck and Canada geese hunting, and fishing with longtime friends on the Chesapeake Bay and he was a lifelong fan of the Washington Redskins. In 1937 the Boston Redskins moved to the nation’s capital and became the Washington Redskins. In its first year, the Washington Redskins won professional football’s national championship by beating the Chicago Bears. Stan remembered listening to the radio broadcast of that game. As to the success of the Washington Commanders, Stan wished them all the best.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be given to the Bon Air United Methodist Church, 1645 Buford Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235, or the Salvation Army, 2 West Grace Street, Richmond, VA 23220. Visiting hours with the family will be held at Woody Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel, 1020 Huguenot Road, Midlothian, VA on Thursday, February 8th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. A memorial service will be held for Stanley at Bon Air Methodist Church on Friday, February 9th at 11:00 am.